to try to find out if there is a way to avert the fiscal cliff. today, after the president returned from his vacation in hawaii, he did meet with his senior advisors. they did conduct some back- channel negotiations as they have been during the holidays on a bill to possibly avert the fiscal cliff. those talks i'm told did not make much progress. the face-to-face conversations may fact create the possibility of a breakthrough. but right now the president has no new proposals to give his congressional leaders. he will stick with what he told the nation on friday-- raise income taxes for households earning more than $250,000, extend unemployment benefits for those americans out of work for more than six months, and try to find some other means to avert the fiscal cliff before that deadline, and tomorrow, may give us a glimmer of hope but as i said, the white house does not consider this a breakthrough, but everyone is and will be talking. >> glor: major garrett at the white house. thank you. all of this uncertainty is already affecting the economy.